The Wilmingtonian., 1887-04-16
col. ocHlLrREE.
The Quiet Way In Which He Laid Out a
Manhhrinr ArkanssA Minstrel.


Wandering Arkansas Minstrel.
The Hon. Thomas Philharmonic ochiltree,
perhaps better known in his native
iupgles as the Lone Star Truth EN-.
broiderer, still hclds the champion belt
A deep conspiracy was recently laid to get II
away from him. The contestant was power
fully backed up by friends who knew him at
home and could testify that not even a curl
GUS jury would believe him except whenlle
was talking in his sleep. He was mild look-
ing gentleman, with wall eyes and no front
teeth, walking on crutches and had only one
arm and a game leg, but he was all there
SheR it came to plain and fancy story
telling. He was from Arkansas, and had
graduated with honors in the Twisters' acad-
emy and his hackers were sanguine. 1t was
resolved not to give Ochiltree any warning or
time for preparation. The Arkansas cham
pion was suddenly sprung on him one even
ing at the Hoffman, when Thomas seemed out
of trim
The conversation was artfully turned on
frontier playfulness. Thomas closed one eye
thoughtfully. One man said he had seen
Billy the Kid shoot two men in succession
through the pockets Of hisulster at measured
distance OF seventy yards Thomas head
dropped and he emitted . feeble snore.
Another told a CORY anecdote OF Broncho
Sam, who kept three cemeteries going in
one horse town. Thomas was profoundly
asleep. The Arkansas champion cleared his
threat, fixed one eye on Thomas and the other
on the Bougerau, and thus filling bis soul with
double vision Of beauty began. lie had just
iined with friend named RidEely--W Walter
Ridgely, Walter was deacon Of the Metho-
dist church at Texarkana and secretary Of the
u 4 ,t.,tt
MIR. Ochiltree opened one eye.) He was ono
Of the meekest and longest suffering men in
Arkansas tHere Tom opened the other eye.)
One day Ridgely was crossing river. A
drummer was on the ferry. 'fhe drummer
got into an argument with the ferryman and
agreed to leave the matter to Ridgely
Ridgely accepted the position Of mediator and
shot both ferrymen dead. He thought that
was the best way of settling tho question.
The ferryinen each had brother After the
double funeral at which Ridgely otticiated
and offered up a touching prayer, the brothers
slipped out of tue cemetery and hid in the
bush at d turn in the road. Ridgely ap-
preached on his old roam mare singing Over
the Shining Riyer.n Both fired. fsidgely
dropped The brothers ran up. They thought
him dead Just as they bsnt over him he
raised up, winked at each and shot both their
heads off. Then he mounted the old roam
mare and tlottei in TO Lead the singing
As the Arkansas champion flushed this
simple little tale Tom nodded once or twice
and then began; .-.-s ..
well" he said, sieepily, "that reminds Inc
ii Bill Schilling, Of Laredo Bill was the
lliietest man in the town and that quiet you
couldn't think. In the fall OF 80 or the spring
If '7J--lemmo see-it was in G9, because had
just got back from my visit to the car at
st. Petersburg, Aleck and / were rhums,
you know. III % Bin SchilliBg was runnin
a barber shop III Laredo. ! was shaving my
fellow men Mt the Lareio bank, but Bill he
said a razor was good enough for him. Well
one day | was in at Schiliing's gettin' my
subbls moved, II Bill was talkin' TO me
about my salvation, N then the chatter
turned on Il stump tailed bull pup Bill had, II
Bill was tellin' me how iu flea time that dog
would sometimes spin like huzz saw, try
ing to hetcf one, Wen, as he was talkin'
n Bill Shawn easy, for my skins tenderer 4
q monkeys, BIN &etthes sight Of two nlel
cornin' by
Excuse in,', knrnei,' said he Certainly
William, said l. Then he slipped behind tn
door and kctchei up q shot gun 'n--plunk!-
plunki-he dropped EN- like frogs | glance
around, because my skin is 50 tender wa
afraid to have Bill get nervous, hut he say:
still smilin', beg pardon, kurnel, and says
Not at all, William n he says, AS | wa
sayin', kunel, that bull pup, when he gets
buck hsa right on the tip of his tail'--and the
he finished the story and gave me the cleanes
shave ever had in my life except last winte
when went down--to--Wall- street. .
town marshal came in and nabbed him iu
as he was dashin' Inc with bay rum from II
Rio Grende,n
ing this narrative. His head sank quietly
his breast and he was sound asleep. Bhe A
kansas champion gazed minute or two
silence Then he drew from an inside pock
gold medal be had won III tile intersta
rcnt'-,t lasf year, laid it reverently beside d
arHa aEd lid New York World